ALZHEIMER’S: Exercise slows progression
October 03, 2019 • 1 min read
-- There’s still no cure for Alzheimer’s, but lifestyle choices such as a plant-based diet, exercise, and not smoking, can protect your brain.
Even those showing early signs of the disease, indicated by a toxic build-up of beta-amyloid protein – a marker of Alzheimer’s – can stave off its progression, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas, found that aerobic exercise preserves the brain health of people with mild cognitive impairment.
The study examined the effects of exercise in 70 adults who suffered from mild cognitive impairment and whose brains also had accumulations of beta-amyloid.
Findings suggest that exercising four-to-five times a week may delay the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by helping to maintain the integrity of the brain’s white matter, or nerve fibres.
Specifically, brain imaging revealed that the hippocampus – part of the brain that deals with learning and memory – decreased much less in study participants who exercised compared to those that didn’t.
Stay jacked.